Devanagari
एतावदृष्टपितरौ युवयो: स्म पित्रो:
सम्प्रीणनाभ्युदयपोषणपालनानि ।
प्राप्योषतुर्भवति पक्ष्म ह यद्वदक्ष्णो-
र्न्यस्तावकुत्रचभयौ न सतां पर: स्व: ॥ ३८ ॥
Verse text
etāv adṛṣṭa-pitarau yuvayoḥ sma pitroḥ
samprīṇanābhyudaya-poṣaṇa-pālanāni
prāpyoṣatur bhavati pakṣma ha yadvad akṣṇor
nyastāv akutra ca bhayau na satāṁ paraḥ svaḥ
Synonyms
etau
—
these two
;
adṛṣṭa
—
not having seen
;
pitarau
—
Their parents
;
yuvayoḥ
—
of you two
;
sma
—
indeed
;
pitroḥ
—
the parents
;
samprīṇana
—
coddling
;
abhyudaya
—
bringing up
;
poṣaṇa
—
nourishment
;
pālanāni
—
and protection
;
prāpya
—
receiving
;
ūṣatuḥ
—
They resided
;
bhavati
—
my good lady
;
pakṣma
—
eyelids
;
ha
—
indeed
;
yadvat
—
just as
;
akṣṇoḥ
—
of the eyes
;
nyastau
—
place in custody
;
akutra
—
nowhere
;
ca
—
and
;
bhayau
—
whose fear
;
na
—
not
;
satām
—
for saintly persons
;
paraḥ
—
other
;
svaḥ
—
own .
Translation
Before these two boys had ever seen Their real parents, you acted as Their parents and gave Them all affectionate care, training, nourishment and protection. They were never afraid, good lady, because you protected Them just as eyelids protect the eyes. Indeed, saintly persons like you never discriminate between outsiders and their own kin.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Before these two boys had ever seen Their real parents, you acted as Their parents and gave Them all affectionate care, training, nourishment and protection. They were never afraid, good lady, because you protected Them just as eyelids protect the eyes. Indeed, saintly persons like you never discriminate between outsiders and their own kin.
KB 10.82.38
When Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were born, before They even saw Their real father and mother, They were entrusted to your care, and you raised Them as your own children, fostering Them as birds take care of their offspring in the nest. You have nicely fed, nourished and loved Them and have performed many auspicious religious ceremonies for Their benefit.
“Actually They are not our sons; They belong to you. Nanda Mahārāja and you are the real father and mother of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. As long as They were under your care They had not even a pinch of difficulty. Under your protection, They were completely out of the way of all kinds of fear. This most affectionate care which you have taken for Them is completely befitting your elevated position. The most noble personalities do not discriminate between their own sons and the sons of others, and there cannot be any personalities more noble than Nanda Mahārāja and you.”
Purport
As Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma had not seen Their parents for two reasons: because of Their exile in Vraja, and also because They are never actually born and therefore have no parents.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī also describes what Devakī thought before speaking this verse: “Alas, because for so long these two sons of mine had you, Yaśodā, as Their guardian and mother, and because They were immersed in such a vast ocean of ecstatic loving dealings with you, now that you are once more before Them They are too distracted to even notice me. Also, you are behaving as if insane and blind with love for Them, showing millions of times more maternal affection than I possess. Thus you simply keep staring at us, your friends, without recognizing us. So let me bring you back to reality on the pretext of some affectionate words.”
Then, when Devakī failed to get any response from Yaśodā even after addressing her, Rohiṇī said, “My dear Devakī, it’s impossible just now to rouse her out of this ecstatic trance. We are crying in the wilderness, and her two sons are no less bound up in the ropes of affection for her than she is for Them. So let us now go outside to meet with Pṛthā, Draupadī and the others.”
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
"O, after a long time, our two sons, as if meeting their real mother, are bathed in an ocean of bliss. They do not look at us at all though we are present before them. And she also, as if meeting her own son after a long time, is blind with love. She has millions of time more motherly affection than I have. Submerged in an ocean of affection, staring at us, her friends, for a long time, she now does not recognize us. Now I will reveal to her a secret topic through seemingly affectionate words." Thinking in this way, Devaki then spoke in a somewhat loud voice.
"Having not seen their real parents these two boys received great affection from you two as parents. I placed them safely with you and they lived there without fear, as eyes are protected by eyelids, because great devotees do not distinguish between their own children or other children (nas satam parah svah)."
Then not hearing any reply even after a long time, Rohini said, "O friend Devaki, this does not rouse her from her blissful trance. So much for crying in the forest (this has been a waste of time). The two sons also remain bound by ropes of affection for her. We two will go and meet with Kunti, Draupadi and other friends who are very eager to see us outside. Because of having to meet with some many people on this pilgrimage, it is not good for the two of us to stay together with them here."
After Rohini said this, Devaki when with her outside.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Devakī speaks this verse. The two boys had not seen their real parents, what to speak of the experience of being cared for by them. The parents only gave birth to them. It is well known (sma) that you became their parents since you satisfied them by giving things that greatly pleased them (samprīṇana), created auspiciousness for them by doing saṁskāras or by making them grow (abhyudaya), nourished them with milk from your breast (poṣaṇa) and protected them by having them rest. Sometimes lālana is seen instead of poṣana. You were able to do these actions for them in the most excellent way (pra—āpya). “This is fine, since she thought that Kṛṣṇa was her own child, but what about Balarāma, whom she knew as Rohiṇī’s child?” Elevated people do not think of “mine” and “others.”
This was Devakī’s meaning of the words. She thought, “Yaśodā knows very well that Kṛṣṇa is my son. Therefore such consolation is proper”. But Yaśodā was unaware of anything else because of relishing strong impressions of Kṛṣṇa as her son. She only remembered Kṛṣṇa with great intensity with his promise, “I will come to see my relatives after giving happiness to friends in Mathurā.” (SB 10.45.23) Thus to her, there was another meaning to Devakī’s words. The two boys were offered by you two parents to us Yadus. You experienced their birth which gives happiness to all beings and protected and cared for them, like the eyelid protects the eye, and then, after having attained you, they accepted to live with us without seeing their parents. But there should be no difference. Why would she say this? Still, for the elevated, there is no difference between what is one’s own and belongs to others. , Or, for the elevated, there is no difference between those who are not parents (paraḥ) those who are parents (svaḥ). Since even Balarāma was born in her house the birth of both is referred to in the discussion.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
Even though the boys had not seen their parents, what to speak of being cared for by them, from their very birth, you cared for them. You became their parents. Sma indicates that it is well known or indicates surprise. They explain how they are parents. You satisfied them with favorite items (sam-prīṇana) performed the jāta-karma or made them grow (abhyudaya). You made them princes of Vraja and had the demons killed. You nourished them with butter and milk (poṣana) and cared for them, putting them to sleep etc. You did this in an excellent manner (prāpya).
Or taking care of the two boys you two, who became creators of their remarkable childhood pastimes (adṛṣṭa-pitarau), lived there. O respected woman (bhavati)! They say this in respect or in joy. Or it means “This is clear (bhavati). They are our children, not yours.”
Or how could the two boys be happy in separation from their parents? That is true, good people treat their own and other’s children as their own. O O queen of Vraja! The two boys will definitely suffer without similar pampering. But you do not need to worry. The two boy, not seeing you two parents, being pampered by us just as by you, have lived here somehow without fear. As eyelids are near the eye, they are within our sight. At all times we gaze at them with affection. We cannot leave seeing them for a moment for there is no sense of mine or yours in us, who are your great friends. Your sons are our sons.